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A Nobody's Love

Original Story by SXH Studios

Unofficial Ending by MathiaSweetSlaughterArkoniel

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Summery: Harry Potter has a secret that he has kept for eight years. It has never bothered him until his fifth year at Hogwarts. No one knows it except for a certain Professor. Not even Dumbledore knows it... or does he? Events unfold and Harry is forced to guard the secret with his life. Enemies lurk around every corner. No one can be trusted. Not even his friends. Rated M for a reason!

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-Notes-

Greetings peeps. It is I the grand MathiaSweetSlaughterArkoniel, here to mumble some more. I just wanted to say I got permission to give "A Nobody's Love" an ending. But BUT not just an ending but a bit more hopefully. Now for this to work I will probably repost all the current chapters in order for the whole 'ending' to work out. In order for that I am going to merge four chapters into one then from there on I will try and do this justice.

But bear with me I am going to try and make sure everything is either up to date or close to the original. Meaning grammar fixes and what nots. Now I've read this fic so many times it ain't funny. And I will try and explain the whole trace not being on Harry.

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Chapter 1

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"It's so cold... So dark... Where am I?" said a small voice of a very small child. One who was sitting with his knees curled up to him and nearly crying. Although, no matter how scared and sad he should be, he couldn't cry or scream, even as the darkness swirled around him. "I need to see! I need light!"

All of a sudden, a white door appeared. It was clear as day to the boy's bright emerald eyes, yet gave off no light to his surroundings. The boy floated to it, hesitantly. Once there, he touched it. But, when he touched it, he recoiled. It stung him lightly, like a little bee would to a person's finger. He tried to open it; it burned his hands. He wanted to cry and be free of the darkness, but the door would hurt him if he touched it, maybe even kill him.

That was when the darkness began to curl around him. It felt different from before. It felt almost loving, like it understood his pain, as it caressed him and pulled him into an embrace. He let it curl around him and carry him off, finding comfort in the way that it petted his ink black hair. Gradually, he felt ground beneath his feet, but still no light. Unfortunately, he also felt what he remembered to be rain. It was a cold, icy rain that chilled the small boy to the bone. Even as hours passed, the rain made no indication of ever stopping.

"It's so cold... Is there anywhere I can go to get out of the rain? Is there any light here?" he asked to no one. He was soaked to the bone. He couldn't lift his head or else the rain would pour in his eyes. It was like he was in a shower that had long since used up all its hot water. He wanted to cry and bawl like the child he was, but no feeling came to him.

His eyes glazed over. He was beginning to give up. Then the ground beneath him began to shake and stir. A crack formed in the ground right below him, light spraying out of it. His eyes began to brighten again as-

"Harry! Wake up!" said the all too familiar voice of Hermione. Harry woke, slowly opening his eyes, his glasses nearly falling off his face from the force of Hermione's shaking. Harry straightened up, fixing his glasses, fighting off the oncoming headache.

"What's the matter, Hermione?" Harry asked, stretching a little. When he did, the feeling of his joints popping and his muscles stretching brought a faint feeling of satisfaction. Looking out the window of the Hogwarts train, Harry sighed. They were on their way to their fifth year at Hogwarts.

"I could ask you the same thing," she countered.

"What?" Harry asked curiously. He seemed to be in a strangely good mood. It was like a facade that sent a small chill through all the people in the compartment. Hermione looked to Ron and then back at Harry.

"You were shivering quite a bit in your sleep, mate," Ron explained nervously. Harry looked at Ron, showing a confused expression.

"You also talked in your sleep..." Hermione added slowly. Harry's head shot back to look at her. He could have sworn he felt fear. Fear for what he might have said right then.

"What did I say?" Harry asked hesitantly, pouring some worry into his voice.

"You said... something like: "Is there no light here?" I don't know. Something like that," Ginny informed. This was when Luna piped in from her seat across from Harry.

"Actually, he said: "Is there any light here?"" Luna looked at Harry. "What where you dreaming about, Harry?" Harry shifted uncomfortably, not making any motion to speak.

"I'm only curious to know what kind of dream it was. From where I'm sitting, it sounds awfully depressing," Neville commented, looking at Harry with a little worry. Harry hesitated. He knew what the dream was about and had no intention of telling anyone, not even the ones he truly cared about.

"It was nothing. Just a bad dream," Harry assured rather pathetically.

"You're fibbing, Harry," Luna said dreamily. "We're your friends. You can tell us the truth." That tone she used. It was sweet and loving, like that darkness in his dream. It crawled under Harry's skin and made him shiver. They all saw him and thought it was just the thought of the dream he had. They would never think that it was the kindness that was shown to him. Harry thought for a few moments, not sure he should say anything at all. He decided to choose his words carefully.

"I'm sorry. It was just a memory, honestly," Harry replied and looked out the window. This made them all the more curious. None of them pressed him for more information, though they wanted to. But, for their friend's sake, they did not ask further. That did not keep them from making a mental note to ask some other time.

Harry watched as landscape after landscape passed by, in nothing but silence. He didn't even notice that Ron and Hermione left.

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All eyes turned to the door when they heard a soft knock. It opened to reveal a certain blond haired noble. Ginny immediately jumped up to Harry's defense. Harry didn't even turn his head to him.

"What's wrong, Malfoy? Lost your dumb goons?" Neville asked. Draco sneered at him, but said nothing to him.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Ginny said lowly.

"Save it, Weasel," Malfoy bit. "I don't have any bone to pick with you... yet."

"So, why are you here? If you want to pick a fight with Harry you've got another thing coming," Neville warned, setting down his plant just in case he needed to use his hands.

"Oh, shove off!" Malfoy snapped. "I just want to talk to Potter. Is that so bad?" Ginny and Neville frowned. Luna just smiled a little, causing Draco to give her an odd look.

"It is when it's you," Ginny countered. Malfoy gave her a sarcastic smile before frowning again.

"Like I said, I have no business with you. Either of you for that matter... Only Potter," Draco informed, looking straight at Harry. The younger boy didn't even look like he was paying attention. So Draco decided to ignore the others and say something that would definitely get the other's attention. "So, Potter, rumor has it that you live in a cupboard under the stairs. Is it true? If so, that is utterly pathetic. Can't even fight back to get you your own room? I wonder. Do you have any balls at all?" Draco narrowly dodged a punch from Ginny.

They didn't get to fight. They were stopped by the sound of Harry speaking. Though, something was off about it. What really stopped them was the fact that his voice was devoid of emotion.

"Believe me, Draco. There are worse things out there than you can possibly imagine. I live with those memories everyday with no solace except the wonderful company of true friends. And listen to me when I say, you know nothing of Hell," Harry murmured suddenly, but loud enough that he could be heard. His words caused everyone to stare at him. "I have been through hell and I will surely go through it again, if it is just to save one person or millions. But, you can say I don't have the balls to stand up to anything all you want, because I know that is not true and I can live with it, Draco."

Draco scowled at his given name being used by his mortal enemy. He grabbed Harry's arm and was about to yell at him but Harry flinched away yelling, "Don't touch me!" They all looked at him with wide-eyes. Draco had noticed the pleading look that flashed across his face, before it went to anger. He pulled away and went to the door.

"Look, I have a message to give from Uncle Sev," Draco said lifting up the note. "I tried reading it but it's in gibberish. I'm sure Potter knows how to read it." Draco tossed the note to Harry. In response, Harry merely put it in his pocket. Draco was about to leave when he changed his mind. The look on Harry's face bothered him and he felt like he should ask if he was okay. It was strange to see his enemy have such a pleading look in his eyes, and an anger... that looked false.

Draco stayed in the doorway and looked back at Harry, showing only a little concern in his eyes. "Potter, are you feeling all right?" The question shocked those in the room. Ginny saw the concern in Draco's eyes and wondered what was going on. Harry seemed to hesitate to answer. That was when they saw him shake his head 'no'. "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly, I feel numb," Harry said without a second thought. Nothing shocked them more. They didn't have time to question it for he continued with, "Why aren't your goons with you?" Draco thought on Harry's answer and decided not to linger on it.

"Those two baboons? They are just two idiots who don't know how to do anything. They don't even know I'm here," Draco said without a single regret. Harry looked up at Draco, his big green eyes shining brightly. "Besides, I would prefer to hang out with a different crowd." Harry smiled kindly.

"Well, what are you doing just standing there? Come and sit down, Stranger!" Harry smiled.

"Harry?" Neville asked.

"Harry, he was just insulting you earlier. Beside, how can we possibly trust a Slytherin?" Ginny ranted.

"Ginny, you know that if we linger on such petty things it will do no good to anyone. Besides, this isn't the first Slytherin I've trusted..." Harry informed, smiling to himself. "Everyone should have a second chance to make things right..."

"I agree. First impressions aren't always true. That is why second chances are given," Luna said dreamily. "Then there are those who are just bad at heart. Those are the people a person needs to watch out for and avoid, if possible."

"Luna's right. Draco had his second chance and he blew it! There is no way we can trust him!" Ginny argued.

"Ginny," Harry said in a stern voice, catching her attention. "You and I have a different opinion on this matter. You may have given him a second chance the minute he stepped up to you again. I, however, was waiting for him to change. I waited to see if he truly liked being with those two dumb blokes or if he wanted to try being my friend again."

"But, Harry-" Ginny tried.

"No 'buts'. If you don't like it, you can find yourself another seat somewhere else," Harry said sternly. Ginny huffed, not believing Harry had actually said that to her. Although, she did take her things and move to another compartment. Draco had to dodge her again, lest she knock him over in the doorway. "Draco, will you please sit?"

Something about Harry's voice just then, made Draco want to do as Harry said. He didn't know what it was but it was very compelling. Draco took Ginny's seat, sitting there a little awkwardly. Harry decided to break the ice by talking first.

"So, how was your summer?" Harry asked. Draco was taken aback a little by the question and grew nervous.

"It was... stressful. My father had been called off to many different meetings with the minister and people I don't remember. I had hoped to spend time with Uncle Sev but he had been called off to meetings he couldn't even tell my father about. I don't know why but for the past few years, Uncle Sev has hardly ever been able to spend time with me and-" Harry raised his hand to stop Draco.

"Draco, do you babble when you're nervous?" Harry asked. Harry laughed a little when he saw Draco nod his head in the affirmative. "I do that, too. Er... well, I used to. I had to learn to stop when I met Rita Skeeter. That woman will ruin anyone's life with her writings..."

"I agree. I read that article about you and Granger last year," Draco commented. "I have to admit, if I didn't see how you two act together, I would think that, too. However, the way you treat her is much the same as how I treat Pansy, like a sister." Luna decided to join the conversation this time.

"Well, I hardly think that she feels the same way. From what I have seen, she tends to flirt with you a lot," Luna commented.

"I suppose so. I have been trying to get her to hook up with someone else. That's not going very well, is it?" Draco laughed a little.

"Have you tried getting her with Zambini or someone like that?" Harry asked.

"No. I'm sure that wouldn't work out too well... Oddly, she used to have this huge crush on Uncle Sev," Draco shivered. "It took me forever to get that thought out of her head." Harry laughed a little at his reaction.

"I'm sure that wouldn't work out well. Snape is a busy man and would hardly have time to deal with her. That's if he shared her feelings. Besides, her personality is a bit of a turn off to me," Harry agreed. Neville and Luna looked a little shocked by what Harry said. He hardly ever said anything sexual or even related to it. Was this really Harry? Draco didn't seem bothered by that. In fact, he agreed with Harry. That's why he kept Pansy at arm's length.

"Oi, Potter-" Draco tried but Harry again raised his hand.

"Call me Harry." Draco looked at him like he had grown another head for a few moments. But, he relented.

"Okay, Harry. Gods that feels weird! This all seems so strange. But, I don't feel like I should question it..." Draco said. Luna shrugged and went back to reading the Quibbler.

"I used to think the same thing just being on this train," Harry began. "I was on this train when I realized that there were actually people like me. People who could do strange things. There was an entire society based around it. But, I being famous was sort of the catch to it all. It's the one think I don't like about it." Harry sat back in his seat and looked out the window again.

"Do you mean that you never knew about magic until you got your letter?" Draco asked slowly and disbelievingly.

"I mean to say that magic was nonsense and forbidden to be talked about within the household at time. No magic whatsoever and imagination was unnatural. Just imagine living in that kind of house, Draco," Harry corrected. "I knew that strange things happened and that I had caused them, but every time I had brought it up my uncle would go into a rage... Then my letter came and it just seemed to get worse."

"Damn. I don't think I can imagine what that kind of life is like. Makes me wonder how the Muggles live at all," Draco mumbled. "Hey, Harry. A minute ago, I was going to ask you if you could tell me what Uncle Sev put in the letter. He's been really secretive and I can't think of why. I know it has nothing to do with the You-Know-Who though." Harry playfully thought about it.

"I don't know, Draco. I don't think you can handle it," Harry said playfully. Draco, unfortunately, did not catch on and began to beg for the information. After a few minutes, Harry smiled brightly and let him in on the joke. A few curses later and Harry pulled out the letter to read. It wasn't actually in gibberish; it just had a spell on it to keep nosy people out of it. But, the problem was the fact that there was only a couple of sentences to read.

Meet me in the dungeons tonight, wear your invisibility cloak, and say Heartless. We have a problem.

-XIV

Harry scowled at the note. Something was definitely wrong if Severus was concerned about it. If the problem meant that they would have to meet in his rooms then it was more than likely going to mess with his plans. Harry thought very briefly that he was going to be very stressed by the end of the first week.

"If looks could kill, that letter would be nothing but ash," Draco commented. Harry put the letter down and rubbed his forehead. "What's the matter?"

"I don't know," Harry said honestly. "But, it looks like Snape is looking for some reason or another to give me detention already. He wants to speak with me tonight after dinner..." If Harry was good at one thing, it was his ability to lie. He had always been able to weave in the truth with a lie and pass it off as complete truth. It was for two good reasons, too. One being that people believed him even when he was hiding things. He groaned for good measure in this case.

"That sounds a lot like him, doesn't it?" Neville piped up.

"Well, he doesn't do it to anyone else. I don't know why, but Uncle Sev doesn't seem like you, Harry," Draco added. Harry gave a microscopic smile and thought: If only you knew...

"That's very unlucky for you, Harry. But, he may have a reason to talk to you tonight. Who knows?" Luna agreed.

"Whatever it is, I hope it doesn't land me in a month's worth of detention. Who knows what sort of horrible things he could have me do for him," Harry said and actually shivered. I don't think that was even a lie. Severus has been spending some time with him, after all.

Draco quickly looked at his watch and sighed. "I believe we're almost there. I suppose I'd better go and change clothes. You lot best do the same."

"We will, Draco. See you later," Harry replied. Draco nodded and left the compartment. When he did, they all got changed and waited for the train to stop.

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When they arrived, Ron and Hermione had not returned. So, Harry got their luggage and waited for them outside. Neville and Luna waited as well. Unfortunately, they didn't show up. Harry wondered where they could have gone, but decided to go on ahead with his other two friends. When the last carriage pulled up, Harry saw them. The carriage was being pulled by something that Harry could only call a horse of some sort. The creatures were completely fleshless, their black coats clinging to their skeletons, of which every bone was visible. Their heads were dragonish, and they had pupil-less eyes, white and staring. They also had giant, leathery wings sprouting from each wither, one would have thought that they belonged to a bat. Standing so quiet and still, they looked eerie and sinister.

But, Harry didn't mind. He could recall seeing worse. Though he was no less curious. He shoved the luggage onto the carriage and helped Luna with hers and Neville with his, though he did not ask for Harry to.

"Careful, Harry. Mine's a bit heavier than normal," Neville began as Harry began to take his luggage.

"It'll not be a problem at all," Harry answered and picked up the trunk with unbelievable ease. When Harry loaded the trunk, he turned back to Neville who stood there gaping at him. "What?"

"Blimey, Harry! I didn't know you were that strong," Neville exclaimed.

"Really, Neville. It was nothing. I just did a bit of work over the summer," Harry informed. "Now, let's get in. I don't fancy the carriage leaving without us." Neville nodded, still dumbfounded by what he saw. Harry just rolled his eyes and got in. He sat across from Luna, while Neville sat next to her. Then the carriage began to move.

"Er... Do you two see the things that are pulling the carriage?" Harry asked, sounding uneasy. Neville nodded slowly.

"Don't worry. I can see them, too. You're just as sane as I am," Luna began. "They pull the carriages every year. Though they can only be seen by certain people." With this she went back to reading her Quibbler. To Harry, the ride seemed to take forever. But, it didn't matter. It gave him time to ponder on what it was that Severus had been so concerned over.

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When the carriage stopped at the castle, they lugged their trunks to pile them up with the rest. Then they made their way to the Great Hall. Once there, Luna went to her own table and Harry found Ron and Hermione. Harry marched over to them and sat down. He made sure to look rather irritated with them. Noticing his mood, they looked at him with concerned faces.

"So, where did you two make off to?" Harry began, not looking at them.

"We had to herd everyone to the carriages," said Ron. That was a lie.

"Really? I looked for the both of you and didn't see you anywhere," Harry said coolly, obviously unnerved.

"I don't know what Ron's talking about, but we had to meet with Professor McGonagall. She needed to talk with us about something," Hermione replied. Ron shot her a short glare.

"Well, it would have been nice to have been told by someone before I had to carry your trunks off the train," he snapped. Hermione tried to say something else when he continued with, "Never mind that. The Sorting Hat is about to sing.

When they heard the song, some people were thoroughly confused. Harry, though he didn't show it, understood it completely and couldn't help but scoff. No one here was going to band together. Most of the students hardly even liked each other. It was a foolish thought to have. He watched blankly as the sorting began. After a while and a few new Gryffindor recruits later, they were all allowed to eat.

But, even as he ate, something weighed on his mind. At the teachers' table was a horrid woman clad in all pink. He was hideous like a toad and definitely someone to remember. Harry recognized her as Dolores Umbridge, one of his many judges at his hearing. He scoffed. I'm back for one day and I end up getting attacked by Dementors. Honestly, my luck can't be that bad. He thought as he ate. Judging by the fact that Harry didn't receive a memo of Snape's sudden occupation change, Harry assumed that Umbridge was going to be the new DADA teacher. He sighed. Now he knew what Severus meant by a problem.

Harry promptly ignored what Dumbledore's normal introduction with the new teachers. However, he had quite the difficult time with it as that terrible woman in pink was interrupting him. Oh, how he pitied Severus at the moment. He had to sit next to the woman. Harry knew he should have felt bad about the sudden image of zapping the woman out of Hogwarts (or to ashes, whichever came first), but he didn't. Instead, he smiled at the thought. That would actually be quite fun.

The feeling only grew when the woman interrupted Dumbledore in a way she thought was subtle but was actually quite rude. She is actually going to speak? Harry loathed the very thought. Then, just like he predicted, with much dismay, she did. Her voice made the raven haired teen cringe at the sweetness. It sounded much like how Dumbledore would speak to him, only this toad's was higher pitched, squeaky even. Harry resisted the urge to cover his ears. So, this… 'woman'… was going to be the new DADA teacher. It was bad enough to have to listen to her speak now, let alone in a class room.

This year was definitely going to be troublesome.

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After dinner, everyone began to make their way to their common rooms. Harry, irritated and showed it, stood up and joined it before his friends could catch him. They tried to catch up to him but couldn't find him. Harry lost them in the crow on purpose. He had ducked into an old, empty classroom and pulled on his invisibility cloak, without anyone noticing. He exited the classroom and then headed for the dungeons.

As soon as he stepped down there, he had to keep himself from laughing. Snape was trying to herd the new first years together while the prefects sat by and watched. Severus glared at them and threaten them with detention if they didn't help. They immediately stood up and began helping their Head of House. What most other students don't know about Severus was that he did punish the Slytherins from time to time. But, he wasn't open about it. He knew that they were all full of pride, but he didn't believe that it took public punishment to teach them a lesson.

No. His Slytherins were special, so he always took a more private, yet humiliating approach. He would give them detention, but only on days that no one else had one, and he would give them a worse punishment. He would never give them a detention in class either, he would approach them after classes were done for the day. If it was a minor punishment, like a chastisement (for other houses), then he would call them into his officer later that day and give them a punishment he thought suited them. Harry chuckled lightly to himself at the memory of Draco wincing a little every time he sat down for about a week after he blew up Harry's cauldron.

Once the prefects began to round up the first years, Severus turned away from them and began to walk away toward his rooms. Harry quickly followed but had to jump aside when he heard quick footsteps come up behind him. Speak of the devil… Harry thought as he looked at who had passed him.

"Professor!" Draco called coming up to the man.

"What is the matter, Mr. Malfoy?" the dark man asked. Draco stood there panting for a moment. Clearly he had run all the way from the Great Hall, down the steps and to the dungeons in a hurry to see Snape.

"May I speak with you privately?" the blonde asked as soon as he regained his breath. Severus gave a curt nod, and without a word he began to walk to his chambers again. Harry was going to move closer to Severus to get into the room quicker, but Draco seemed to be practically clinging to the grown man. Harry knew that if he could, he would be more than annoyed by the action.

When they arrived at Severus's room, Harry had to quickly run in behind the Malfoy before the Portrait slammed shut. Harry then moved quietly to the side so as not to be heard or be tripped over. Harry took a seat immediately, figuring this was going to take a moment. Snape gestured for Draco to take a seat while he summoned some tea.

"What is it you wished to speak with me about, Draco?" Snape asked as he took his own seat in his favorite green armchair.

"Many things actually," Draco began, but his voice grew soft. "Although, you may not wish to speak about some things I have in mind…" Severus chuckled deeply, making the boy in front of his fidget a little and look down, like he was in trouble.

"Try me," Severus answered, with an amused smile on his face. Harry felt his own lips twitch at the sight of it. It was rare to see the dark man smile, let alone laugh. Harry never really understood the need to either of those things. Now is not the time to think about that. Right now, we must sit down and listen. Harry thought to himself.

Draco briefly raised his eyes, but then they locked onto the floor again. Harry could see he was nervous. "I merely wished to know how your summer went, Uncle Sev. I hardly heard from you. What little I did get did not tell me how you were," Draco answered uneasily. Severus looked his up and down, studying him, debating his answer.

"Do not worry, Draco. I assure you it had nothing to do with the Dark Lord," Severus informed gently. "I was well over the summer, though I can't say the same for this school year. I have been working with some friends a long way from here. I was well out of harm's way." Draco breathed a sigh of relief, one he had been holding in since the train ride here.

"That is good to hear," Draco began again. "What exactly is it you were working on?" Draco raised his head now, his eyes shining with curiosity. Severus was taken aback by the question, but he gave a reassuring smile anyway.

"It was just some healing research, having to do with the heart," Severus replied. Harry commended Severus for his ability to lie without actually telling a lie. He had a gift for only giving the half-truth. Some days, he and the rest of their 'friends' would sit down and debate whether or not he was an honest man or a manipulative liar. Those conversations were always interesting. "Other than that, I can't say anything for sure. Maybe I will be able to tell you about it some other time. For now, I think you should be going off to bed."

Draco's nodded with each new piece of information, but he looked uneasy when he was told to go. "Uncle, can't I stay with you tonight? It has been so long since I last stayed here…" Draco asked timidly, making Harry's eye twitch. Since when has Draco looked this cute? I swear he is acting like a little kid… Harry thought.

"I'm sorry, Draco, but you can't. You have class tomorrow," Severus replied, putting on his best apologetic look. Draco's head hung and he stood. He went to the door and just as he was about to leave, Severus called back to him. "Good night, Dragon." Draco hesitated before returning it, and then he left. Harry's lips curved, smirking at the transaction.

"That was sweet," he commented and lifted his cloak. "I almost felt something." Severus looked at his with his normal cold eyes.

"Don't get smart, young man," Severus replied.

"You want me to stay dumb?" Harry asked playfully. Severus scoffed, scowling. "Quit that. That horrible look doesn't do justice for your handsome face." Severus ignored him. He went about the room and replaced the tea set with a wine glass and a bottle of rich red wine.

"Shut up and sit down," the dark man ordered and poured his glass. Harry bounced over and smiled so brightly that Severus shivered. There was always something wrong with that bright smile. It was something dark, cruel. If Severus ever had to compare the smile to something… Well, let's say that Harry's smile made Voldemort's look like a little girl's on Christmas day. If Severus could feel fear, he would be terrified.

"Alright, Sev. Since you asked so nicely, I will," Harry answered. And he did. He curled up in the other arm chair, and took up his tea. As soon as he finished his first sip, His face went from happy to dead serious. "Moving on to more important matters, what is it you wanted to speak about?" Severus waited a moment to college his thoughts after being showing that bright smile.

Taking a deep breath, Severus began with, "I assume you could take a good guess at that. You saw her didn't you?" Harry make a small noise of acknowledgment as he sipped some more tea.

"I did. I recognize her from the memories of Replarry. She was at his hearing in the ministry," Harry explained. Severus was briefly confused by the name until it downed on him.

"Oh, you mean your replica. I thought you gave up on naming them since they died so often…" Severus commented. Harry looked slightly offended.

"Of course I haven't. I care for all my little replicas! Especially Replarry III," Harry argued. "Number IV always spends so much time just to make them for me. Why wouldn't I care to name them after all his hard work?" Severus just raised an eyebrow.

"But… Were you not the one who killed them in the first place?" Severus murmured. Harry merely scoffed.

"Keep in mind that out of the few I have had-"

"About nineteen."

"- I have only killed about five," Harry informed. "The first ten committed suicide. Then there was the one in second year who had survived the initial Basilisk bite, but not the venom later. There was the one who got bitten by Remus that I have made sure to cover up, in third year. And then there were the three that went mad after the challenges last year." Severus's gaze dropped. The topic of those mention suicides where taboo. Harry would say very little every once in a while, but he would never speak of the cause. After a few moments of silence, they both agreed to move on with more important matters.

"So, she was at the trial?" Severus inquired and sipped his wine. Harry gave an affirmative nod. "Well, no surprise there. She is practically Fudge's pet. They like to cause trouble together."

"So, what is she doing here?" Harry pressed.

"Fudge does not trust Dumbledore anymore, as you could probable tell by the very uncreative headlines. He also does not trust you. He thinks you are a liar who want nothing but attention," Severus informed. Harry smiled a little to himself.

"Remind you of someone?" Snape ignored the comment and continued.

"Because of the events last year and over the summer, this Umbridge toad is going to be here to… observe the students and staff," he finished.

"By 'observe', you mean 'spy', correct?" Harry asked seriously. He didn't even need Severus to answer, he knew it already by the look in his eye. "No matter. We will continue as planned. However, I do expect a weekly status report and-"

"That is the problem," Severus interrupted. Harry stopped at stared at Severus, then motioned for the man to continue. "She has much more power here than you think. Fudge has allowed her to change the rules here, Potter. She can make changes, drastic changes, and Dumbledore will not be able to do anything."

Harry thought over this for a little while, his face remained neutral. It would have scared Snape if he were any normal person, but the caution was there. It was always there when he spoke to the boy. He could never tell what the other was thinking and the boy never showed his true intentions. At most, it made him wary to make a wrong move. Finally, Harry spoke.

"Describe it in one sentence, Severus," Harry ordered. There is was. That melodic sound again. Harry's voice was hypnotizing and almost like he had been put under Veritaserum, Severus answered.

"The only power she does not have in this school, is that of the headmaster," he found himself saying with a smile, hoping he had pleased the other. He watched Harry's eyes widened and His smile contorted to an expression of worry. Had he upset him? Was he displeased? Suddenly, the desire to please the boy faded and Harry looked defeated.

"Forgive me, Severus," Harry began. "I did not mean to force that on you."

"It is fine," Severus replied, shaking off the remains of that desire. "However, I cannot help but wonder what caused it. After all these years you should have mastered that ability of yours." Harry shrugged and drank some of his tea.

"I don't know. Something has been making it come out lately, especially when I don't want it to…" Severus studied the boy. After a while, he stood.

"You should leave soon. Your two 'friends' are waiting for you," he informed softly. "If you wish to stay longer, I have to argue that it should be no more than an hour. They would surely start a search party for you if you were gone that long." Harry nodded and stood, his eyes cast down to the ground.

"I don't know. I think I just was to be alone… Maybe I'll go visit him, though," Harry whispered to himself.

"Potter, do you mean…?" Severus stopped when Harry's blank eyes shot up to look at him.

"Never mind. You are right. If I wait any long, they'll have Fluffy sniffing for my trail. Goodnight, Severus," Harry said and strode out. Severus watched him leave with concerned eyes. He has been acting strange lately. Every time that man came up, Harry avoids talking about him. Did they have a fight or something? Severus thought as he put away the glasses.

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Darkness surrounds him, enveloping him in a comforting embrace. He can feel the pain in his hands after he repeatedly pushed against the white doors of light. The burning sensation that it caused on his palms and he persisted on, trying to find salvation in the light. Now, they only ached. The pain was a pleasant reminder that he could feel something.

The darkness that had caressed his body and wrapped around him in a warm blanket soon dissipated. It drew away from him, leaving him cold. It only got colder when he felt something fall on his skin. It was…

"Is that… rain?" he asked himself, his bright sunset colored eyes turning upward, feeling the cool droplets on his skin. Suddenly, lightning struck. It illuminated his surroundings, allowing him now only to see where he was, but also himself for a brief moment. After that, I began to become lighter, brighter even. His eyes began to adjust to the darkness.

His skin was tan, and his long silver strands contrasted with it almost beautifully. But, his looks did not matter to him. He was in an alleyway. He briefly wondered where he was before his hair at the nap of his neck began to stand on end. He recognized this sign as one of fear, but he felt none. However, he trusted the feeling and left the alleyway as fast as he possibly could. He was in danger and he knew it. He ran and ran as fast as he could until he came to a dead end, a cliff in the road to be exact. But, he gasped at the sight.

In front of him was a large white castle, seemingly floating over the city. The brightness nearly blinded him, but he could not bring himself to look away. It loomed over the city, ominous yet comforting.

"So, there is light here?" he thought. He could not stare at the castle for long. Not because it hurt his eyes, but because he heard something. Or, rather someone…

"Excuse me. Are you lost?" came a soft voice of a child. He turned and stared down at the being in front of him. At first glance, one would see the boy as plain and unmemorable. However, he was captivated. Those bright green eyes that stared up at him were even more beautiful than emeralds or even Russian diopside. The boy's glasses almost hid them, as well as the inky black hair. His skin was so pale that it glowed, casting a little light around him.

The most notable thing about this child was the scars on his body. They were thin and almost imperceptible, but they were there. It was almost like someone… He found himself shivering at the thought. Why? This child only had to be about what? Eight?

"Sir, are you lost?" the boy repeated, looking him up and down with concerned eyes. They widened when they reached his hands. "You are hurt. Come with me. I'll heal them right up." There, in that melodic voice, he found that he could not find it in him to disobey, but he did.

"No," he replied though halfheartedly. The boy seemed puzzled at his reaction. Then he seemed a little irritated. "Who are you?" he asked. The boy opened his mouth to answer and said-

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Xemnas reached over and slammed his fist against the damned alarm clock, breaking it in the process. He grumbled and turned over in his bed, bringing the covers around him. Suddenly the door slammed open and a man with bright blue hair, yellow eyes, and an X on his face walked in with a tray.

"Good morning, Superior," he said in a monotone like voice. Xemnas heard him set the tray down on the table and pause. "Sir, may I ask why you deemed it fit to break your alarm clock… again." He obtained no answer from the man. He sighed. "Sir, this is the third time this week. I know you miss our friend Ahrxri, but…" Before he could even finish, the blue-haired male got slammed with a pillow. Said pillow slid down his face and then fell to the floor in a beaten mess. The yellow eyed man just stared at him until finally saying, "Very mature, sir."

"Don't talk about him," Xemnas ordered and sat up in the bed. The covers slid down, revealing a nicely toned body and strong muscles. "How is his replica coming along, Saïx?" Saïx rolled his eyes and picked up the pillow from the floor.

Placing it on the bed, he said, "I'm not sure. Vexen has not turned in his report yet." Xemnas said nothing for a long time. He merely looked out of his large windows to the sky. There, looming over the city, the castle and the darkness, was the luminescent, heart-shaped moon. Then his eyes fell past it and down to the vast, endless city below. He could see the darkness curling, moving, plotting. He did not want to see such a view. He wanted to see those bright green eyes again. He suddenly felt exhausted again, longing for rest.

"Sir, if I may," Saïx said suddenly, bringing Xemnas out of his thoughts. "Why do you wish for Ahrxri to return so quickly? He has only just left. As I recall, you yourself have gone on missions longer than five days."

"As I recall, I can make it to where you won't come back for five weeks if you don't drop the topic," Xemnas threatened absentmindedly. Saïx nodded and stepped back a little.

"As you wish, sir. I will go and check on Number IV's progress," Saïx informed.

"Very well. Do not disturb me for the rest of the day. Also, go over the reports for me," Xemnas continued.

"Yes, Superior," the blue-haired man answered. Xemnas dismissed him, listening for him to leave before letting out a sigh. He thought about the dream that he had before Saïx woke him. It was the first time he had ever dreamed about that day. Hell, it was the first dream he'd had since the boy left. It was the day they had met. The day he first became a Nobody…

The scene shifted before his eyes. Everything around him changed and he once again found himself reveling in the memory. Darkness entered the room, distorting the white and grey walls into dark brick ones of an alleyway. Xemnas stood and the floor under his feet shifted to cold concrete. He could practically feel the freezing rain on him again, soaking through his clothes. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. When he opened then, he stood before the little eight year old again.

"Who are you?" he asked. The boy opened his mouth to answer.

"I am Nobody," he replied a little sadly, turning away a little. The tan man took a step forward, getting a better look at the other. The boy did not notice him at first. Then, as he drew closer, the boy's eyes bolted forward and he jumped back a few steps. Xemnas saw the reaction and studied him for a moment.

"Surely you do have a name. Everyone has a name. So, why don't you tell me yours?" he encouraged. The boy's eyes flickered over him. He could tell the boy was calculating the danger he posed. Slowly, the boy's tense shoulders relaxed.

"I have no name, none that is worth anything to me. I despise my name," the raven haired boy spat. Xemnas couldn't help but smile at this act. They actually had something in common.

"If you hate it so much? Why not change it?" he asked. They boy's eyes widened and he seemed to think this over. "If it makes you feel better, I hate my name too," he added. The boy didn't tense as he took another step forward.

"What… would I change it to?" the boy asked slowly.

"Anything you wish. Here, I have an idea. Why don't I take my name Ansem and just switch around the letters and add an 'x'?" he asked. The boy looked confused.

"Ansem? Is that your name?" he asked softly. The silver-haired man nodded. "So… your new name would be Xemnas, right?" The tan man thought about that for a moment, then he nodded. "How could you like that name? I just made it up!" the boy suddenly yelled. Xemnas looked up with a shocked expression. "Why? I shouldn't be able to name you! I have no right!"

Xemnas blinked. "No right? Why would you say that? Of course you do." The boy looked taken aback. Then Xemnas kneeled down to look the boy in the eye. "Don't think you don't have the right to. You have offered to help me, and I have rudely turned you down. The least I can do in return for your kindness is to give you this."

"I have done nothing," the other argued. "You have every right to turn me down, rudely even since you don't know me." Xemnas just stared at him for a moment then chuckled deeply. "What's so funny?" he snapped.

"Well, if you see it that way. Then I'll just have to name you. An eye for an eye after all," he said. The boy seemed dumbfounded for a few moments.

"You… want to name me?" he asked slowly, with a hint of hope.

"Why not? You named me," Xemnas smiled and held out his hand. "What's you real name?" The raven haired boy looked from the hand to Xemnas's eyes and back. Slowly he took it and answered. Xemnas noted how soft and warm the boy's hands were. He could also see the faint scars on them as well, like he had been burned. So this boy also touched the door…

"Harry," he whispered.

"Hmm. That's a nice name. Why would you want to change it?" Xemnas asked.

"It's a long story," Harry said softly but firmly. "You said you were going to name me?"

"Yes," Xemnas said and thought over all the possibilities of the boy's name. "How about… Ahrxri?" The boy said nothing for the longest of moments.

"I guess that's okay," Harry replied and pulled of Xemnas's hand. "Follow me. I'll take you somewhere warm and dry. I'll also heal your wounds for you."

"Thank you," Xemnas said as he was directed toward to cliff. Just as the boy came to the edge of the cliff, a new path appeared and lead up toward the bright castle. Ahrxri assured him that he was alright, but he didn't funny trust the path that was almost transparent under his feet. When they finally make it to the castle, the doors opened and the boy led him in.

The world faded away from Xemnas's eyes and revealed his room again. The castle back then seemed so lonely and empty. Now there were so many people here, people like them. Xemnas looked to the sky, staring at the moon that had only recently been created. The beautiful, heart shaped moon that towered over them. The castle was the beacon in the darkness, and the moon was their ray of hope.

"You don't deserve to be with those people," Xemnas spat, but the thought of those beautiful eyes calmed him. "You belong here, with us, with me…"

"What about you?" came a voice from overhead. Xemnas's eyes narrowed and he looked up. There, standing on the ceiling, was an annoying pain in the ass, named Xigbar. He had bright yellow eyes and black hair with a couple of stripes of white. Grinning down at him, Xigbar continued. "Hey, sleepy head! You know, I've never seen you in your PJ's before. If you ask me, it sort of suits- Hey! No need to be violent!" Xigbar disappeared for only a second before reappearing on the other side of the room. He stared at the spot he has once been, his grin wiped off his face. There were two ethereal blades that now occupied the space.

"I told VII that I wished not to be disturbed," Xemnas said lowly. "Did he not inform the rest of you?" Xigbar relaxed a little and smiled playfully again.

"I dunno. He said he had something important to say before I popped out here to meet you?" Xemnas shook his head. This man was worse than IX at times, and that was saying something…

"Get out," Xemnas said simply, turning away to look back at the sky. Xigbar, being the suicidal idiot he is, ignored it.

"You okay man? You seem a little down?" he replied. Xemnas's brow twitched, but he said nothing. "Is it about the new little guy? What was his name again? Arrxhi? Arrixh?"

"Ahrxri," Xemnas corrected before the man butchered his name further.

"Yeah him. Does it have something to do with him?" Xigbar asked. "Don't tell me the brat screwed something up or something because he's gonna be-"

"Ahrxri has not made a single mistake so far. Now I suggest that you leave before I decided to give you another scar on that ugly mug of yours," Xemnas said lowly. Xigbar was taken aback for a moment. He studied his superior for a few more moments before smirking.

"Fine. Whatever you say, Superior. I'll leave you here to think about superior stuff or even that nice piece of ass you're tapping." Xigbar disappeared right as Xemnas threw his desk at the man. He cursed when the man fled the room and promised to get him back for it later. Right now he needed to get dressed and get some work done.

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Harry laid down on his bed and only wished for a good night's sleep. However, he knew that he wouldn't rest well. He was too cautious, too aware of his surroundings. The teen didn't trust this place or its people. He feared that they knew who or what he was and was planning his demise. I'm becoming paranoid… Harry thought to himself, rubbing his eyes after taking off his glasses. Just as he laid his head down, he whispered a spell that would put a barrier around his bed.

Sighing, he closed his eyes to go to sleep, praying that his screams would go unheard through the walls he created.

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...TO BE CONTINUED...

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